Coming Home
by Mrs. Elizabeth Gibbs
Summary: All Kelly Gibbs wants is for her daddy to come home from Kuwait for her seventh birthday. She prays and prays, but when she wakes up that morning, he isn't there. But there's a visitor to her first grade class later that day...


A/N: I don't know who watched the series premiere of 'Coming Home' on Lifetime Sunday night, but it's the most emotional show I've ever seen (I was crying during the commercials for it, and even when they were just outlining what they were going to be for the families). This one-shot was inspired by a ten year old girl named Hannah and her dad, and how he surprised her by coming to her class.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

* * *

Kelly Gibbs didn't want much.

Sure, she wouldn't mind a pony for her seventh birthday, and she wanted a little brother or sister, but that wasn't what she really wanted. What did she really, truly want?

She wanted her daddy to come home.

He'd been gone for eight months, two weeks, and four days. And she missed him, a lot. She'd never missed him this much before, but now she just wanted him to scoop her up and cover her in kisses like he did when he was home.

She just wanted her daddy back.

"Mommy, is Daddy coming home soon?" she asked her mom, tugging on Shannon's jeans as she looked up at her mom.

"Sweetheart, Daddy will come home when the Marines send him home," Shannon replied, her heart tugging when her daughter frowned, her big blue eyes turning sad. "Do you want to draw him another picture?"

"Mommy, I already drawed him tons of pictures," Kelly huffed, folding her thin arms over her chest as her frown deepened. "I wanna see Daddy."

"I know you do, Kel," Shannon said with a sigh, drying her hands on the dish towel and turning towards her daughter, smiling. "How about you practice your song for Daddy? You know he'll be so excited to hear it."

Kelly grumbled slightly, turning and leaving the kitchen, going into the living room. She pulled the piano bench out and settled on it, shuffling the papers and finding the right one.

Shannon leaned against the doorframe and watching her daughter warm up, smiling as the six, almost seven year old launched into the nursery rhyme she'd been studying for the past few weeks, trying to get it perfect.

She wanted to impress her dad with her skills, and Shannon knew Jethro would love anything their daughter did.

She sighed as she thought about her husband; it had been much, much too long since she'd last seen him. Since she'd last touched him, spoken to him, kissed him. She missed him, and there were moments when she absolutely hated the Marines, for taking him away from his family, who needed him.

But she'd never begrudge him his responsibility to their country; he loved the Marines, and if it made him happy, she wouldn't say no, however much she wanted to. She just wished he wasn't gone so much.

Kelly's birthday was tomorrow, and Shannon knew her daughter's heart would be completely crushed when she woke up and her daddy wasn't there to kiss her good morning like he had every other birthday. And while Shannon knew Kelly would put on the brave face, it wouldn't be enough.

She wished she knew how to help.

* * *

Later that night, Kelly kneeled by her bed in her blue nightgown, linking her fingers as she kneeled by her bed.

"Dear God," she started, closing her eyes tightly and whispered. "I know you probably get a lot of people wanting things, and I don't want to be just another person, but tomorrow I turn seven, and all I really, really want is for my daddy to come home. I know he's far away, but do you think you could pretty please with sugar on top bring him home so I could see him? Thank you God. Love, Kelly Marie Gibbs."

She finished her prayer with a smile before curling underneath her covers, looking at the miniature wooden rocking horse resting on her desk. It had been a gift from her daddy before he'd left; he'd said that whenever she got lonely she could hold the horse and he'd be with her.

She slipped out of bed and grabbed the small horse, bringing it into bed with her and placing it near her head so it would be close to her as she slept.

It made her feel close to her daddy, and she fell asleep with a tiny smile on her face.

* * *

When Kelly woke up the next morning, the first thing she saw was the wooden horse by her pillow. Sitting straight up, she grinned, hoping her daddy was home.

She slipped out from between her sheets, sprinting out of her room and into her parents' room. Jumping on the bed, she was extremely disappointed to find only her mom under the covers.

"Kelly, what're you doing sweetheart?" Shannon asked groggily, glancing at the clock before groaning. "Kel, it's 0430!"

"But Mommy Daddy was supposed to be here for my birthday!" Kelly exclaimed, pouting as she fell back against the pillows that were on her dad's side of the bed. "I asked really nicely and everything!"

"Asked who, Kel?" Shannon asked, frowning as the words hit her still sleep-clouded brain.

"God, silly," Kelly said, rolling her eyes at her mom as though it was the simplest thing in the world. "I prayed really nicely last night, and I asked for him to bring Daddy home so that I could see him on my birthday. It's all I wanted, really Mommy. It was all I asked for. Why didn't it come true?"

"Kel, it doesn't always work like that," Shannon explained gently, sitting up slightly and brushing back her daughter's tangled auburn hair. "God is really, really busy sometimes, and he can't get to all the wishes all the time."

"Okay," Kelly replied softly, a heavy sigh filling her frame. Shannon pulled her closer, tucking her daughter's head underneath her chin and pulling the covers over them. She pressed a kiss to the soft auburn strands.

"I know it isn't what you'd like, Kel, but he'll be home before you know it," Shannon whispered, feeling Kelly snuggle closer.

The two cuddled for the next two and a half hours, until Shannon's alarm went off. Shannon got Kelly in the shower and then started breakfast, smiling at her daughter when she came down the stairs a little while later in a pair of jeans and a purple t-shirt.

After breakfast Shannon dropped Kelly off at school, then drove to a place she hadn't been to in eight months, two weeks, and four days.

The air field.

* * *

Kelly sat in class, a coloring sheet in front of her. She selected the red crayon, carefully shading in the big apple that dominated the sheet.

She was bored.

All her classmates had wished her a happy birthday, and they'd sung to her, but it wasn't the same. She hadn't gotten her birthday wish, and she was sad.

Then, there was a knock on the classroom door, and everyone looked up as their teacher, Miss Parker, opened the door to reveal their principal, Mr. Howard.

"Hello boys and girls," he said, smiling at them. With his big circle glasses and his bushy mustache, Kelly was reminded of a man her mommy worked with, and she had to hold in her giggle. "I just came by to say that there's a special visitor to your class today. I'd like you to give him a warm welcome."

Kelly sighed, her head coming to rest on her hand. Another boring presentation. Mr. Howard stepped out of the way, and she looked down at her coloring sheet again. The classroom remained silent, and eventually she looked up to see who the visitor was.

And then her mouth fell open.

"Daddy?" she whispered, tears filling her eyes as she stared in disbelief at her dad, still dressed in his military uniform, smiling at her in the middle of the classroom.

"Yeah, Kels, it's me," he said, opening his arms as he stepped closer, coming to pick her up. "C'mere kiddo."

She leapt into his waiting arms, burying her face into his neck as she started to sob, tears sliding down her cheeks as she hugged him. Her dad hugged her back tightly, pressing her against his chest with his strong arms as he closed his eyes, burying his nose in her hair.

"Happy Birthday Kelly," he whispered, feeling her hug him back even tighter.

"You're the best present ever Daddy," she whispered back, kissing his cheek and resting her head back on his shoulder. "I missed you."

"I missed you too sweetheart," he replied, brushing back her hair.

"I'm glad you came home," she said, wiping at her tears. He smiled, shifting her slightly.

"I'm glad I came home."

And that was all that mattered to Kelly Marie Gibbs on her seventh birthday.

Her daddy was back.


End file.
